Blackburn man jailed for raping woman after following her home from Darwen night out
A Blackburn man who raped a woman after following her home from a night out in Darwen has been jailed.
Lewis Hartley, 24, formerly of Minnie Terrace, Blackburn, but now of no fixed address, attacked his victim in the early hours of May 14, 2023.
The court heard that during a night out, Hartley had asked the woman if he could come to her home, but she declined, saying she wanted to go to sleep.
Later that night, Hartley entered the property along with one of the woman’s friends.
When the friend left, Hartley pretended to be asleep. Once the victim was alone, he raped and sexually assaulted her before using her mobile phone to call a taxi.
Hartley was arrested two days later and later charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Following a trial at Preston Crown Court in September, he was found guilty of all offences.
He returned to court on Monday (November 10) where he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.
In a powerful statement read to the court, the victim described how the attack had “turned her life upside down”, saying she no longer felt safe in her home and had been forced to move house.
She told the court: “I was enjoying a child-free weekend with friends and was out with group of lads who I thought I could trust and feel safe with.
“I felt able to have a drink and a good time and wanted to be looked after, little did I know that the night would end so very badly and change my life forever.
“I delayed the children coming back and even took them on a last minute holiday to avoid having to be at the house with them.
“I moved to a new house in the end and that is not something I should have had to do because of the actions of one person but I felt that I had no choice.”
The victim said she had suffered sleepless nights, anxiety and a loss of confidence since the attack, adding that she still fears for her safety.
DC Claire Scott, from Lancashire Police’s East Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Investigation Team, said: “Hartley took advantage of a vulnerable woman for his own sexual gratification.
“His offending has had a profound impact on her daily life as she describes so honestly in her victim impact statement.
“I want to praise the victim in this case for her bravery, and for having trust in the police to put her offender before the courts.”
Police urged anyone affected by sexual assault or any crime to report it via doitonline.lancashire.police.uk or call 101.
Always dial 999 in an emergency.